Monday, April 14, 2008

Here's a short synopsis of day one with the Young at Heart Chorus on our trip to play both the Tonight show, Ellen, as well as a show at the Wilshire theater in Beverly Hills.

Our flight to LA included not only uber producer Gary Marshall, but Hal "Deep Throat" Holbrook. Hal graciously obliged to a couple of photo ops with starstruck chorus members. I refrained and just took a quickie from afar with my zoom. 5 and a half hours and we touch down.

Whisked away by motor coach to Century City where our hotel is. The Intercontinental is the most palatial and opulent building I've ever had the pleasure of wandering around in my swim trunks. Olympic sized pool, hot tub, sauna, 24 hr gym (that's nicer than even the swanky gym in Noho) and fresh orchids everywhere.

Out my balcony on the 12th floor you can see the Fox lot and sound stages about 500 feet away. The chariot races from Ben Hur apparently were filmed where this hotel stands now. The view of LA and the surrounding mountains is stunning. Once again, photos to come.

I was initially bummed that my tub didn't have a shower curtain. That was before I saw the walk in shower.

Nice.

Giant plasma TV. Separate office with mahongany furniture off the bedroom. There's a box of stuff to snack on like M+M's ($6 a bag) and salted cashews ($10 a bag) and something called an "intimacy kit" for $12. Hmm ... I could buy two bags of M+M's for that kind of money.

And the kicker ... a phone next to the crapper ... my dream house.

Tomorrow it's breakfast at the hotel, lunch at the Fox commissary, and a rehearsal in the afternoon. Dinner is at a place called Kay and Dave's and then, I suspect, some combination of pool, hot tub, sauna, gym, relaxing.

Man, it's tough on the street for a pimp.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I found out tonight that the plan is to have the band on risers behind the chorus on Leno. Good thing I look so pretty.